Mates
by Of Memories Past
Summary: Forced together and stuck in a permanent relationship lacking the love that it should have, Inuyasha and Kagome have to break down the emotional barriers and learn to love each other. But their love will be tested as time goes on. Is love strong enough?
1. Mates in Name, not in Heart

Disclaimer: Yup, I own nothing…except for my half empty snack-pack bag of Fritos, and empty water bottle, and a little ID card that grants me permission to eat the nastiest food in the world. *Sigh* What I would give for Kaede cooking…

Mates

By: _Of Memories Past_

Chapter 1: Mates in Name, not in Heart

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     A young woman with normally vibrant coffee-colored eyes despondently trudged through the thick snow and bitter coldness. She did not see the beauty in the pure white fluff that covered the ground; she did not find peace in the plump flakes that floated silently to the frozen earth; she did not let her mind wander to the naked trees waiting out the winter so that they could once again burst forth with life. No, she did not see any of this. Her tears and a distorted picture of all around her was all she could see.

     Kagome looked up when the stench of smoke stung her nostrils. Up ahead lay a small hut undoubtedly made for two. The scent of a rabbit roasting on a spit over a fire became stronger as she approached. Different smells—those of cooked vegetables and hot tea—reached her nose when she stopped only a few feet outside of the cloth door. Glancing wistfully back over her shoulder, she secretly wished to be going back to the village that had become her second home over the years. There, she could curl up with a thick pelt in front of a warm fire with a good bowl of stew in her hands as she listened with fervor to the stories that her friends told. She would laugh and join in with her own tales, content to allow the feeling of home flood her veins and occasionally scratch a wandering kit that had made himself at home in her lap.

     Yes, that village spoke of, smelled of, and felt like home.

     But this new, strange hut that she slowly made her way to was different. It was too new to be broken in and possess that "homey" feel. When she walked in, the walls were cold and strange to her. Even if the fire blazed brilliantly, the new home remained alien to her. Nothing was familiar. In her own bedroom she did not find comfort.

     A sudden blush rose in her cheeks when she thought of her room. That room was not only hers. She would never have one to herself again. Yes, the bed was more than comfortable and plenty big enough for her and its other occupant. The bedroom was warm, the small fire pit in the corner always glowing with its burning embers. Yet a unique coldness lurked in its corners, betraying the comfortable and happy aura that it gave off. Even with the two occupants that room was lonely. 

     _It's not filled with love,_ she thought sadly, pushing aside the thick material hanging in the doorway to enter. She stopped to remove the thick cloak that she wore—a gift from Kaede—and hung it on a small hook embedded in the wall. Her eyes took in the food slowly cooking over the fire, and a small smile stole onto her face. She may have not liked her current situation, but she at least found security in knowing full well that she would be taken care of. Even in this age, Kagome knew that she would never hunger or thirst for anything. As much as she found her situation not to be ideal, she had the safety of care of the one in the same quandary as herself. And that gave her at least a little comfort.

     Sighing, she crossed the main room and silently walked into her bedroom, disregarding the sleeping figure on the bed as she shed her miko clothing and stepped into something a bit more comfortable from home. The deep, soft scent of the rosy colored, floor length nightgown that her mother had lovingly bought for her after the whole ordeal assaulted her sense of smell with scents from home. The gown was just enough to scream out the word "wife" or "mate" without being too sensual. Her mother had chosen it, knowing the role her daughter was about to take, but also sensitive to the fact that moving too fast would be more damaging than good. So, she chose a piece that was conservative, covering the entire body of the one who wore it, yet enticing at the same time, its silky material and slightly low cut showing enough off without revealing too much. 

     Kagome smiled. She could pick out the flowery smell of her room, the detergent her mother used, and even which drawer it had been in as she held it to her face, breathing in deeply. But she quickly pulled the material over her head as tears of nostalgia threatened to spill over. The last thing she wanted was for the tangy smell of salt to wake the one sleeping on the bed.

     Him. Kagome looked over at his sleeping form and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail as she contemplated. He was all she had ever wanted and yet now that she had him, she wanted nothing more than for things to go back as to how they were before—before the mess had started. Neither of them wanted to be in the situation they were in now, but it was the hand dealt to them. And in the end, she admitted to herself that it had been better than certain abuse and a lifetime full of sorrow and want.

     It had all started out with a simple shard hunt. Sango had started out the day giving a resounding whack from Hiraikotsu over the head of a lecherous monk as he reached for both women, and Inuyasha and Shippo had started arguing the moment they set out on the road. Everything had been as it should. But then a nasty horde of spider demons, having heard of a powerful new miko who held in her grasp the Shikon no Tama, approached. Kagome had watched with fear as the angry mass made it clear that each one of them intended to claim her as their mate. Inuyasha had stood firm with the Tetsusaiga and readied to battle off any that came to close. And no one was going to touch his Kagome. This problem of demons coming to claim Kagome had become more prevalent in the past month, even a few in her own time. Thankfully Inuyasha had been there to save her.

     But then the last straw finally hit the hanyou as one of the spider demons lashed out with a long leg and grabbed a hold of the young miko. She had screamed, knowing that only a bit from the gnashing claws that came closer and closer as the seconds ticked by would mark her as some disgusting spider demon's mate. As the sound of those teeth clacking together mercilessly pounded in her ears, she closed her eyes, one shining tear slipping down her cheek, as she awaited the inevitable.

     But the spider had never had his chance to bite her. Before she knew what was happening, Inuyasha was at her side, sinking his fangs into the soft flesh on her neck. The screeching sounds of angry spider demons had echoed in the sky as the one they sought became that of another. Inuyasha had claimed Kagome as fully his, and the spider demons had scattered, defeated through just that simple action.

     Things had been a blur after that. She had received a brusque explanation back at Kaede's hut of what she was now, though Inuyasha himself had had a fairly decent blush tingeing his cheeks. But of course his excuse was that he was tired of having to ward off lustful, demons, and she was better of with him anyway. This way he would not have to worry about others trying to come and claim her. Demons would never bother her in that manner again as they respected the right and sacred claim of a mate—even the most vile creatures had a respect for the consecrated union. 

     He had suddenly left the hut, roughly telling Kaede to explain to her what was expected of her now. She could remember the grandmotherly look the old woman had given her as she told the girl from the future to sit down. And it was a good thing she had. By the end of the little "information" session, Kagome found herself shaking uncontrollably and dreading anything and everything that was to come.

     Her mother had accepted everything in stride when she was told what had happened and had consented to the union, trying to be a support to her daughter in any way that she could. 

     Kagome had to smile at the memory of her mother taking her shopping for more intimate knickers now that she was technically a married woman. Only one more thing lay ahead to complete that bond, and Kagome had avoided that subject with her mother completely. But she had had a fun time with her mother, laughing and joking about strange and grotesque lingerie that they had found to lighten up the mood of the whole outing. 

     A soft groaning shook her out of her memories, and she turned to look at the stirring figure on the bed. A gentle smiled touched her lips when she watched on sleepy amber eye crack open with another one following it soon after. He looked at her groggily before collapsing back onto the bed covered with a blanket made of pelts, snuggling into the soft fur for a few more moments before he had to be up. Her smile turned sad as she watch him. 

     Their new relationship was strained. Yes, they still had the friendship that they had possessed before, but the warm and caring love of a husband and wife—of mates—was missing. She knew it was due to the way their bond had been formed. Tears pricked at her eyes as she remembered it being a call of duty and not love. Oh, she loved him; that was for certain. But whether or not he loved her back was completely unknown to her. If he did love her, he certainly did a good job at hiding it. She new he cared and hoped that their relationship could be built around that if nothing else. But she craved the intimate bond that those joined together shared. It made her sad to think that she may never have that.

     They had been so shy with each other at first, neither willing to look the other in the eye. And then, after their first night together, Kagome could not bring her self to even glance at his feet without a heated blush rising in her cheeks. And tears always soon followed that blush. That first night was supposed to be special. It was supposed to be a celebrated declaration of love. But for her it had been no more than an action with the purpose of making it known to the world that she was taken. It had been empty. So, she lived as wife and mate to one, going through with all wifely duties without the assurance of love that she yearned for.

     "Kagome."

     Kagome looked up as he called her, willing the fresh tears that her thoughts brought not to fall as she crossed over and sat down on the edge of the bed. But it was to her surprise when he pulled her into his arms and held her close to him, resting his chin atop her head as the tears that she had held in so bravely before let loose and streamed down her cheeks. She had to smile, knowing that he knew how she felt and tried to make it just a little bit better through the actions she was use to. She snuggled closer, remembering how he would pull her close like this before when she was sad or scared.

     It was how she knew he at least cared.

     Inuyasha finally let go, giving her a quick kiss as he left the room to finish with dinner. Usually such a task belonged to her, but he did it himself sometimes to allow her a break and make things a bit easier for her. He knew how rough it was on her.

     Kagome touched her lips once he had left, and the tears burned in her eyes once more. Such actions did not come natural, but rather were forced and unnatural as they tried to adapt to their new life. As they tried to turn that bond they now shared into something more real. But Kagome found that she never had the courage to initiate anything. She patiently waited for him, never taking the initiative herself. Now she would not so much as hug him without his consent first. Strange as it may seem, the new situation made even that harder for her to do. Kagome ached for the day she felt the freedom to do to him as she wanted whenever she wanted. She wanted the privilege of kissing him and wrapping her arms around him as she pleased, not having to worry if he would look down on her for her strong affections or, even worse, push her away.

     That thought in mind, Kagome lay down on the bed and buried her face in the soft pillows, doing the one thing she did best nowadays. She cried.

A/N: Kind of depressing. Almost four-thirty and I'm suppose to be doing a paper. Of course this thought just had to enter my head as I tried to work. Not a good thing, but it was a nice break from Philosophy. Oh well. I hope that you all enjoyed. I hope to have the next chapter up soon! God Bless! ~_Of Memories Past_


	2. Cruel Love

Disclaimer: Yup, I own nothing…except for my own sorry carcass that has had no sleep last night whatsoever. And I'm still typing more chapters! Yeah, I think I can now be classified as a moron, seeing that I really need sleep…

Mates

By: _Of Memories Past_

Chapter 2: Cruel Love

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     Inuyasha awoke the next morning as the sun rose, blithely flopping over on his back and stretching out his long limbs while he yawned. He sleepily blinked his amber eyes a couple times before allowing them to rest their gaze on the sleeping woman beside him. Staring curiously, he watched as she clutched her pillow tightly on _her_ end of the bed. He frowned at that thought. When they had become mates they had unconsciously decided that he would sleep on the far left and she on the far right, both staying as for away from each other as possible. Unless of course they were together. 

     Smirking, Inuyasha clamored from the bed, careful to tuck the warm blanket around his mate's small form before he left to hunt down breakfast. But even before leaving to hunt, the hanyou carefully coaxed the dying fires in their room and the main room back to life. Satisfied with his work, he donned the red haori and stepped out into the brisk morning and ignored the biting cold that sank into his bare feet as he stepped out into the snow. The snow was really quite helpful when it came to hunting, as long as it had stopped falling to the ground. It made it much easier to catch sight of the tracks of any early passers. That is, unless the snow still fell. Then it was nearly impossible to search for food by following prints, and he would have to resort to his keen sense of smell and sight to catch something.

     But luck was on his side that day. No sooner had he looked to the woods than he had seen the hoof prints of a rather large deer—more than likely a buck. Inuyasha smirked for the second time that morning and set out on the trail of the animal that would make many decent meals. He would not have to go hunting for a while if he managed to catch this beast.

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     Sango sighed as she tended to the morning fire, absently swatting away a hand that strayed towards her rear. She smiled inwardly when she heard Miroku's yelp. Cold weather always made things sting a bit more than usual. Setting a small caldron up over the flames, the demon huntress motioned for Shippo to bring over the vegetables and stop snacking on the carrots. 

     The tiny kitsune dropped the bright, orange morsel that he readied to pop into his mouth and obediently brought Sango the food, perching on her shoulder to watch her work once the load was taken from him. He took one look at the plucked chickens that rested off to the side, and his mouth began to water. A quick glance to Sango proved that she was not looking. Shippo stretched out a small, clawed hand, determined to get at least one small sample of the fresh meat.

     "Don't even think about it, Shippo."

     "Awwwwwww, Sango," he whined, his bright, emerald eyes wide with begging, "I just want one little piece."

     "You've already been snacking on the vegetables," Sango returned. "I think that you've had enough to hold you over until it is finished." That said, she returned to chopping up the carrots that he had not consumed.

     Shippo pouted one last time before bouncing off her shoulder and over to the corner where Kirara slept. He thought for a moment of waking the slumbering fire-cat but thought better as a memory of Inuyasha doing the same thing was recalled to his mind. His baby laughter filled the air for a few moments while he pictured the hanyou trying to put out the fire that Kirara had intentionally set to the backside of his kimono. Poor Inuyasha had only succeeded in nursing the flame, and it had burst to life and spread up his back. The funniest part had been when Kagome had thrown the bucket of water that she had just brought back from the well for Kaede. What had initially been intended for cooking ended up dousing the unfortunate dog-demon that had accidentally stepped on both of a very tired fire-cat's tails as he went to wake her. Inuyasha had glared daggers at Kagome, his silver hair and clothes plastered to his body due to his unwelcome soak while the girl from the future simply smiled sheepishly.

     Kirara had stretched, and sauntered out of the hut to sunbathe, stopping on her way out to rub her body around her offender's legs.

     Needless to say, Inuyasha never offered to wake the tiny youkai again.

     "When are Inuyasha and Kagome going to come back?" Shippo asked, watching as Miroku tried yet again to grope Sango. He waited patiently for the demon huntress to pick up Hiraikotsu and knock him over the head. But instead she settled for a small skillet to his face and calmly went back to preparing breakfast. Shippo snickered.

     "They will be back when they are back, Shippo," Miroku finally answered. His hand came up to tentatively rub at his newly bruised face. That had been a pretty good hit. "Their home is elsewhere now, remember?"

     Shippo pouted and dug a tiny fox paw into the ground. "Yeah, but when do I get to move in?"

     "When they get settled, Shippo," Sango said quietly. She stirred the stew for a moment before turning her attention back to the kit. "Go out side and play with Kirara. I'll call you when it is finished."

     Kirara, having popped up when her mistress spoke her name, scrambled out the door with Shippo hot on her heels. A good-natured game of tag ensued.

     Miroku listened with an attentive ear to Shippo's laughter for a few minutes and then seated himself by Sango, wise to keep his hands to himself.

     "You mean _if_ they work things out, don't you, Sango?" he whispered.

     Sango stopped stirring and faced the monk. The grave look on her face spoke more than her words could.

     "Yes, I mean _if_," she confirmed, a sad look crossing her features. "Kagome has come to me in tears time and time again since they were mated." She looked up at Miroku with tears in her eyes as she thought of her friend. "It's all a duty to Inuyasha, Miroku. We both know that he cares for Kagome, but he's too stubborn to show it. Or he doesn't know how. Who knows? It could even be both." Slouching, she went back to tending the stew that was slowly finishing.

     "It could be both," Miroku mused. He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully and hungrily eyed the stew when its scent reached his nose. He was starved. Just a little taste would be satisfactory at the moment.

     _Hmmm, if I can get her to smack my hand away on my right sight then I'll have time to reach around on the left and sneak a taste. Yes, that will work fine. I must be willing to sacrifice something for a bite, and I will be my hand not throbbing for and hour. _Miroku paled for a moment. _I hope it's my hand she hits._ His plan in mind, the determined monk set out with his plan. His fingertips lightly brushed over Sango's right hip and as expected, the angry woman turned to attack it. Miroku smiled inwardly as his plan worked and was reaching out to steal a bit of food when another voice entered the hut.

     "Do not ye even think about it, Miroku."

     Kaede.

     The monk groaned at the old woman, having ruined his plan, and yelped again when Sango figured out what he was trying to accomplish. With a right hand that promised to be black and blue within the next five minutes and a bright, red slap mark across his left cheek, Miroku gave up his venture and left the hut mumbling. 

     A low chuckling from the old woman brought a smile to Sango's face. "He is quite a handful, isn't he?" she smiled. "Almost as bad as the kit."

     "That, I would have to agree with," Kaede nodded. She walked across the hut and began putting away the different herbs that she had returned with to make medicine. "But he is fond of ye."

     Sango laughed and shook her head. "No, he is a lecher. He is fond of _all_ women. He still sometimes reaches for Kagome even though she is taken. Remember the look on Inuyasha's face? He could not believe it."

     "At least some reaction was brought out of him," Kaede mumbled. "I passed by their hut on my return here."

     "Did you?" Sango asked. "Sound like things are getting better?"

     Kaede finished with her herbs before joining Sango by the fire. "Things at least sounded normal, dear. As I walked by I could hear them arguing about Inuyasha needing to clean the animals he catches outside of the hut." She shook her head. "Wish it were something different. But Kagome was mighty loud."

     Crinkling her nose at the thought of animals being cleaned in her home, Sango had a sneaking sympathy with Kagome. She would have yelled too. 

     "He's impossible!"

     Startled, Kaede and Sango looked up to the hut's entrance with wide eyes to find a very emotional Kagome standing there. She was seething, crying, and laughing at the same time. 

     "Kagome," Kaede said opening her arms to the distraught girl. 

     Kagome immediately rushed into them, bursting into tears as she was enveloped in the grandmotherly embrace. "He hates me, Kaede. He just hates me, and that's all there is to it."

     "Don't be foolish, child," Kaede soothed. "He cares for ye more than ye know."

     "What did he do this time?" Sango asked, stroking her back relaxingly.

     "Tried to clean a deer in the hut and will not let me return home for a visit. Not even _sit_ is holding him back now." Fresh tears streamed down her face, and she clung to Kaede even tighter. "I just want to go home."

     Kaede rocked the girl back and forth, praying that things would change for her sake. "It will all turn out, child. It will all turn out."

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     Kagome crawled under the thick, pelt blanket and sank down into the mattress stuffed with feathers and straw. Strangely, she found it more comfortable than her bed at home. She lightly tugged at the nightgown that had gotten tangled around her ankles before scooting over to her side of the bed. Her eyes closed, she flinched when she felt his weight settle onto the bed and slide under the covers. She unconsciously moved closer to the edge as a deep sadness filled her. That desire for closeness that had ripped a hole in her heart filled her once again as she felt alone with him right next to her. Carefully turning onto her right side, Kagome stared sadly at his back while she thought.

     The desire to go and wrap her arms around him was overwhelming. But that same fear of rejection held her still in her place. That fear had had more control over her lately than any other. She wanted to love him, but she also wanted for him to love her back. 

     Not to mention that she did not know her place. It had been made explained to her by Kaede that youkai women never acted on their own accord unless in heat, so Kagome felt even more that she should not initiate anything. But at the same time, the old woman had told her that she could only keep trying to make things better. But she was only human and could not perform miracles, as she viewed it.

     A stubborn look set on her face, and she leaned up in bed while looking over at Inuyasha with determination. That's right. She _was_ only human. But he was also half human. And, as a human, she was allowed to act on the desire to love her husband. Things were not going to get better if she did not try and even if he would not, she would. Deciding to take a risk, Kagome slowly crawled across the bed and over to the side where Inuyasha was sleeping.

     Or was supposedly sleeping.

     "What do you want, wench?" he asked, feeling her weight settle next to him. He kept his back to her, waiting for an answer.

     The color drained from Kagome's face as she froze and almost lost her courage at his tone. He did not sound like he wanted to be bothered by her.

     Inuyasha turned on his back when he did not receive an answer and fixed Kagome with a glare. What was she doing up like this? His glare turned questioning when she sat upright at his side. He could hear her heartbeat speed up and even in the dark see that her cheeks were flushed. What had gotten into her?

     "Kagome?" Inuyasha sat up and lean back, bracing himself against the back wall. He eyed the girl warily as she moved closer to him. "What is it that you want, wench?" He felt a strange chill run down his spine when she reached up to brush his bangs back and then lightly scratch his ears. Impatience was building stronger in him as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth and did not respond. "Kagome…"

     "I want to kiss you."

A/N: Cliffhanger? Sorry. But I hope that you enjoyed. Please review and God Bless! ~_Of Memories Past_


	3. It's Just not Love

Disclaimer: Yup, I own nothing…except the paper due Wednesday. Grrrrr.

Mates

By: _Of Memories Past_

Chapter 3: It's Just not Love

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     "I want to kiss you."

     Inuyasha's amber eyes widened for a moment before he settled into a cocky grin. So she wanted to kiss him, did she? He shifted his bare shoulders until they were situated against the wall more comfortably and leaned his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes. "Do you?"

     Kagome tried to keep her breathing even but was finding it difficult. He seemed to be so in control of the situation. It would hurt her more than he would ever know if he refused her a simple kiss when he himself…

     Blushing, she turned the thought away and kept focused on him. "I do," she admitted softly.

     "Then why don't you?"

     Kagome's breath stopped short at the blunt question. Why didn't she? Was that an invitation? Well, it is not exactly like she felt she would be able to just do that whenever she wanted. He had never made her feel like she could. Kagome gathered her courage and moved a bit closer.

     "I didn't know…didn't think…I thought…" she stumbled. Her gazed focused on the bed.

     His chuckling brought her attention back to him. He opened his golden eyes before reaching out a clawed hand and tilting her chin up to him. 

     "I'm your mate, Kagome," he stated the obvious. "If you want something, just take it."

     Her eyes grew wide. It seemed to be such a casual matter with him. "But…"

     He laughed again. "I wouldn't be a doing my job as your mate if you sat there and suffered because you wanted something." He sat up straight and braced himself on his arms. "You can do whatever you want with me. It's fine." Inuyasha leaned toward her, his face mere inches from hers. "Now you said something about wanting a kiss?"

     Kagome held back tears as she looked at him. It was still just a job and not love. But as she looked into those golden eyes that seemed to glow in the dark, she found that her own desire was going to take over the part of her mind that screamed at her to wait. Reaching her arms up around his neck, she leaned forward and kissed him. It was gentle and tentative at first before becoming more demanding. She leaned into him more and continued to kiss him. Hard.

     Inuyasha pulled her too him and kissed her back, letting her get out everything pent up inside of her. What he did not expect was for her to deepen the kiss and cling to him tighter. He took a sharp breath out of surprise before responding to her just the same.

     "Oi, wench," he whispered when she pulled away out of breath. "I think you want something a little more than a kiss."

     Kagome blushed.

     Laughing at her shyness, Inuyasha fell back against the bed. "Don't worry about it, Kagome." He smirked and opened his arms to her. "I'm yours."

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     And he meant every word that he had said. Kagome was still blushing at her previous boldness when she slipped the rosy nightgown that her mother had bought her back over her head. She fumbled with the buttons, mentally cursing at herself for her actions. She was not usually one to let her body think for her, and tonight that was definitely something that had happened.

     She did not even want to remember it anymore as she watched Inuyasha settle under the blanket of pelts once again. No love. It had simply been an action meant to quench his and her physical desires. Tears stung her eyes as she slipped underneath the pelts with him—back on her respective side, of course. She felt used. She felt horrible because she felt that she had used him, even though she loved him with all her being. He obviously did not return that love, but she had accepted the services his body offered anyway. 

     She felt like a whore.

     _I am not much better than one, am I?_ she questioned herself. Kagome clutched at her pillow tighter and allowed the tears to streak her cheeks. She felt weak. She felt weak because she needed his love and felt as if she would die without it.

     A shadow looming over her form caused her to turn over onto her back and look up.

     He had smelled her tears.

     "What's wrong wench?" he asked, his golden eyes searching hers in the darkness. Absently reaching up, he brushed a few tears off her cheeks. 

     "Nothing's wrong, Inuyasha," Kagome muttered, turning her face from him. She flinched when his hand cupped her face, slowly forcing her to turn back to his gaze. Smiling slightly in the darkness, Kagome reached up to run her fingers through the silky strands of silver hair that hung loosely while he leaned over her. Her smile grew a little, the corners of her mouth lift ever so slightly, when she noticed how his amber orbs seemed to glow brightly in the dark. No wonder he could se so well.

     Inuyasha frowned. She was lying to him, and he knew it. He could tell by the dull tone to her voice. Lowering himself so that his arms rested on either side of her, Inuyasha buried his face into her neck inhaling deeply her flowery scent.

     "Why are you lying to me, wench?" The strong scent intoxicating him further, he began softly kissing her flesh, trailing his lips from her jaw all the way down to her shoulder. "I don't like it when you lie to me." He stopped speaking as he began pressing hot little kisses on the front part of her throat right under her chin. He paused, thoroughly kissing the flesh there before moving down to her collarbone.

     Kagome shuddered and tried to tune out the effect that he had on her. She did not want to feel used again, but at the moment her body was going to fight anything she told it not to do. It also annoyed her that he could tell she did not speak the truth. The air suddenly left her when he began working on the buttons of her nightgown. 

     "No," Kagome whispered. This would not happen to her again. She would not feel like this. She refused to feel dirty.

     Inuyasha ignored her small protest and placed his mouth over hers to silence her. He noticed that she tried to flout the feeling of his lips on her as first but soon gave in and was kissing him back, her small hands tangling in his silver hair. He smirked and began to remove the pink nightgown that was proving to be more of a hindrance than anything.

     "No!"

     The soft, pink material slipped out of his grasp as her sharp yell pierced his sensitive hearing. He shook his head until sounds came clearly once again, fixing her with a glare as she struggled to button her gown back up.

     "What is your problem wench?" he growled, obviously annoyed at being stopped.

     Feeling braver than before, Kagome fixed him with her own glare, fixing the last button with an exaggerated gesture. "This isn't right!"

     "It's not wrong, wench!" Inuyasha retorted. "We're mates, remember? We're allowed to do this!"

     Kagome glowered and sat up. "We may be mates, Inuyasha, but this is nothing more than lust!"

     Inuyasha sat up as well, glaring at the girl he called his mate and wife. She had a lot of nerve doing what she just did. He frowned at the tears staring to form in her eyes as she looked at him. How he hated it when she cried.

     "Mates, husbands and wives—they're suppose to love each other, Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat before continuing. "I love you, I always have. But even feeling like that, I cannot go on feeling like a prostitute just to satisfy physical needs and it be accepted simply because we are _called_ mates. You've made it clear that all this is just a job to do." The tears that she had worked so hard at holding back began to stubbornly course down her cheeks. "We're together for life now, Inuyasha. I had always dreamed of being with the person that I loved—being with you. And even if the situation that threw us together was not ideal, I could live with that. I still thought that I had my friend that I had had before.

     "But things changed. I've lost that friend that I always knew was there for me. We barely say two words to each other anymore, Inuyasha." She watched as he guiltily hung his head and averted is gaze. "I don't even feel like I can smile at you or hug you like I use to. As strained as out relationship we before, I at least knew that I was welcomed in your arms. Now I sit back and wait until you feel like being intimate. And that's all the contact that we have. That and arguing." she spat out bitterly.

     Anger filled her chocolate orbs and her thrust her fists into the soft mattress. "Well, I've some news for you. I do not want to be used when all I want to give you is love. That I love you will never change, but I am not going to sit back and feel like a whore because that's exactly what it feels like to me right now, and I hate it!" 

     Her sob took him by surprise, and he watched her rock forward, her face in her hands. "Why can't you love me, Inuyasha?"

     The blamed hanyou's ears drooped and he lay what he hoped to be a comforting hand on her shoulder, lightly kneading the tense muscles at the base of her neck. "I do," he whispered.

     Kagome laughed bitterly at the confession she had always wanted to hear. "Well, you have a crummy way of showing it, Inuyasha." She angrily grabbed her pillow and his haori before angrily scrambling off the bed and going into the main room.

     She paused in the doorway of their bedroom and turned to look at his stunned face. "Don't come out here and get me, Inuyasha. I want to be alone."

A/N: A nasty little fight. Don't worry. As Kaede said, things will get better. Please review and have a good night! God Bless! ~_Of Memories Past_

P.S. Does anyone know what Inuyasha's exact age is? I imagined it to be in the late sixties or early seventies, but I wasn't sure. Please let me know if you do! Thanks!


	4. God Bless our Broken Home

Disclaimer: Yup, I own nothing…except the paper due Wednesday. Grrrrr.

**PLEASE READ!!!**

A/N: I'd like to thank a few people before I get into the story. First, thank you to Dennisud  who is always there to send an encouraging review, even if it's early in the morning. Thank you! Next, I'd like to thank Hanyou-elf for encouraging me with this story when I started to doubt it. It helped me keep going. Thanks! My next thanks goes to JadesRose who basically told me to finish my paper. Actually, here's what she said: _"__Please write more soon! AFTER you finish your paper!!"_ JadesRose, you gave me the laugh that I needed and the initiative to get my sorry rear moving. I've still got some more to write, but it's coming! So thank you too! And as always, thank you to all of you who review. I really appreciate it that you would take the time to drop a small note. Enjoy!

Mates

By: _Of Memories Past_

Chapter 4: God Bless our Broken Home

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     "She wants to go home for a while."

     Miroku lazily opened one eye and looked up at the source of the voice that woke him from his nap. So much for trying to find a nice patch of grass and a shady tree to catch a few winks. But even the monk, no matter how abruptly awakened, could not help but feel slightly sorry at the sight before him. The proud hanyou he was accustomed to seeing—the one who could look danger in the eye and threaten it without a second glance—now stood before him with his head lowered and ears drooping. He could not even see the amber eyes that normally flashed with annoyance but softened when he did not think that people were looking. Miroku held back laughter. For the first time since he had known him, the poor pup was downright depressed.

     But, being the concerned and good friend that he was, Miroku decided that some answers were going to finally be elicited from his stubborn friend before he gave any advice. That is, if he played his cards right. He indifferently rolled his shoulders and closed his eye again. "So?"

     Inuyasha bristled and angrily dropped down to the ground in front of his normally supportive friend who, at the moment, was not helping. He looked indignantly at the supposedly sleeping face.

     Sensing that eyes were watching him, Miroku opened his own bluish orbs. "What?"

     "What do you mean 'what'?" Inuyasha snapped. He folded his arms cross his chest and slouched. "What am I suppose to do?!"

     "What do you care?"

     Rubbing the new bruise that suddenly appeared on the side of his face, Miroku supposed that the injury was worth it if it meant that Inuyasha would start talking.

     But Inuyasha was piqued. 

     "I care!" he insisted stubbornly. "The wench is just too blind to see it!"

     Miroku smirked. Now this was getting somewhere. But he had to choose his words carefully—either that or go right for the kill. 

     He chose the latter.

     "She loves you, you dolt," Miroku reproved less than gently. How hard was it to figure out what the problem really was? "She's upset that you and her are mated, and you don't feel the same for her. Women dream of being loved from the time they are girls, Inuyasha."

     "I love her," Inuyasha growled dangerously. "More than you know." He did not much care for the negative accusation that had been tossed at him. What he felt was his business. It was not up to some lecher to decide his feelings.

     Miroku blinked for a moment. He had not expected that confession to come so soon or so easily. No matter though. It made his job much easier. He sat up, still slightly stunned, and braced himself. What he was about to say could end up with him bruised, biffed, or missing an arm by the time the words left his mouth.

     "Kagome doesn't think so," he stated casually, keeping his indifferent demeanor. "She thinks that this is simply something that you feel you have to do. She's told Sango, Kaede, and me before that she felt that she 'was trapped in a permanent relationship with no love.' And those were her words, not mine."

     Inuyasha visibly slumped. "I do everything that a mate is suppose to do," he angrily muttered. 

     "You have never once treasured your mate for who she is. A good roll in the hay isn't going to keep her happy, Inuyasha."

     The glare that the half-demon suddenly sent him caused chills to run up his spine. Okay, so maybe that had not been the most eloquent choice of wording…

     Known to him now that that matter was forbidden territory, Miroku cleared his throat and lightly tugged at the clothing that lay close to his neck. It had not been this hot beforehand.

     "What else to I need to do monk?!"

     Miroku was stunned for the second time that day by the sudden heated outburst. But it was good news at the same time. Inuyasha simply did not know how to love her. "You really are ignorant, my friend." 

     Inuyasha raised a fist, silently threatening to let it fall over the monk's head. "How about we stop the insults and help me out!"

     A slow, mischievous grin spread across Miroku's face as he leaned closer to Inuyasha. "I could help you. But you have to swallow your pride and be willing to do whatever is necessary."

     "Feh." Inuyasha straightened his back and looked away. "How do you know what women want?"

     That impish grin spread even farther and even turned a bit smug. "Let us just say that being a lecher sometimes has its benefits."

     Inuyasha snorted. "How is that?"

     "Because I know what it is that Kagome would want. I can teach you to love her."

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     Inuyasha waited anxiously in the main room of their hut for Kagome to return from Kaede's. Earlier that morning, after he had come out to find her still sleeping outside their bedroom, she had angrily thrown on fresh clothes and left to the village, needing the consoling arms of the old miko.

      He had not seen her since.

     Now he waited, dying for her to get home so that he could see if some of the stuff that Miroku had said actually worked. Being impatient as he was, he wanted to try everything all at once. Anything to get things back to normal. Anything to set their bond where it should be.

     He had felt the strain on their relationship too. Inuyasha got up and added a little more kindling and coaxed the fire in the small pit back to life as he allowed his memories to take him back. Unwillingly, one certain memory hung above him like an ill omen, refusing to go away even as he tried to forget it. It kept pushing at his mind, twisting its intangible body until it finally infiltrated and readied to torture its owner.

     Inuyasha hung his head low when the memory of his and Kagome's first night together rose to the surface. He would never forget the look on her face when he carried her into their bedroom and gently sat her down on the bed. His eyes clenched shut at the painful recollection. She had been terrified. Her wide, fear-filled eyes had shone with a thin sheen of water as she began nervously unbuttoning that silly school uniform that always wore. The scent of fear radiating off of her had saturated the room, making him regret what had to be done. He would have waited if she had not been in such danger.

     She had cried all night.

     Things gradually got a bit more comfortable over the short month that they had been together. They became use to one another's ways and settled into their own routine even though the initial strain of being forced together too quickly remained. At least they had their own habits to make things easier on them.

     But Kagome was right. There was no love—or at least _love_ was not expressed as it should be. Yes, their lives as mates were the same as any other in the physical sense, but the little bits of affection that went into making a relationship stronger and unique were nonexistent. They needed that. Miroku had said that Kagome needed affection—needed "the little things in life." Well, if that's what it took, then so be it.

     Absently, Inuyasha began chewing his lower lip. He wanted it too. He knew that he had the freedom to love on her and make her feel loved. He knew that she would have clung to that immediately. But, though he would not admit it to anyone, he was shy. The brave hanyou who could conquer anything could not defeat his own insecurities and create the life that he and his mate both wanted. Instead, embarrassed at his emotions, Inuyasha had buried them deep down and simply done his "job." Well, that time was over. Kagome had been put through hell and back over the last month, and he was going to fix it no matter what it took.

     His amber eyes lit up for a moment when her scent became evident outside of the door, and he eagerly leapt up to meet her. He was glad to see her and was going to prove it.

     Confusion etched itself on Kagome's face when the door covering suddenly moved aside for her. It could not be Inuyasha. Her expression darkened, and she walked through the entrance. No, Inuyasha would be sitting by the fire and probably complaining that dinner was not finished. Or even started for that matter. Either that or he was sound asleep on their bed. There was a better chance that ghosts were letting her in.

     But to her surprise, it was Inuyasha who had pulled the thick door covering back for her to enter. She had no sooner stepped through the door than she came face to face with the hanyou she called her mate. Her eyes locked with his for a moment, her dark orbs searching his golden ones as he uncertainly looked back at her. After a moment Kagome's patience started to waver. What did he want?

    "Inuyasha, what?" she asked abrasively. She frowned when he seemed to flinch at her words, and she noticed how his ears seem to wilt a bit. What was wrong with him? "Inuyasha, what…"

     "Welcome home, Kagome." He gently brushed his lips across hers before pulling her into his embrace and holding her close. "I'm glad you're back." Inuyasha took a deep breath, and a small smiled touched his lips. This felt right.

     But unfortunately Kagome was not yet convinced. She savored the feeling of the tender, surprisingly loving, hug for a moment before pulling back and fixing him with a look.

     "What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Her hands stubbornly graced her hips as she stood firm. She was not going anywhere until she got some answers.

     Inuyasha took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. He was more than a little frustrated that he was trying, and she just was not responding.  

     "I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm sorry for everything I've done wrong. I'm sorry for not seeming to care about you, I'm sorry for not seeming to—" he paused for a moment and swallowed "—for not seeming to love you." Reaching out, he took her small hands into his larger ones. "I want things to be the way they should be."

     "And how's that Inuyasha? Because so far, you've made it clear to me that me sitting back and waiting around is how things should be. With you in charge of course. Am I supposed to believe that suddenly things are going to turn around and be all better? Believe suddenly that you _love_ me?" Her eyes glowed with suppress anger as she glared at him.

     Ouch. That one hurt. Sighing, Inuyasha released her hands. Miroku said that she might still be angry. After all, she had been hurt pretty badly. But he remained calm, knowing that nothing would ever be accomplished if he lost his temper.

     "Kagome I do love you." He paused for a moment to allow the words to sink in, both for her and himself. He was not use to openly expressing something like that. "But you were right last night. I've done a crummy job of showing it." The ground suddenly became interesting as he tried to collect the many thoughts racing through his mind. He wanted so badly to make her understand that he also wanted things to change. Miroku had said that it would be either hard or easy. Looked like the more difficult side of things had blessed him yet again.

     "I want things to be better." Inuyasha paused and grasped her hands again. "Please let me try, Kagome. Let me try."

     Kagome pushed back her tears and nodded her head. He seemed sincere. "I want things to be better too, Inuyasha. But you had better not break my heart again." She eyed him for a moment before moving forward to wrap her arms around him, needing to know that he was indeed telling the truth. She nearly cried right then when his arms immediately snaked around her and pulled her closer to him. He did want to make the effort.

     "I was telling you the truth, Kagome," he whispered in her ear, not trusting his own voice at the moment. He could smell the salt beginning to collect in her eyes and was having a hard time keeping his own tears back. 

     This was proving to be more emotional than he had anticipated.

      Kagome pulled back slightly, still remaining in the warmth of his arms as she looked at him with the suppress tears finally rolling down her cheeks. "I love you."

     The way her voice cracked when she said those words was his breaking point. He could hear the hurt and the hope mixed in her tone as she looked up at him and told him yet again that, even though he had been a jerk, she loved him. Inuyasha closed his eyes, his own tears falling as he held her to him again. "I love you too. More than I've shown."

     Kagome's tear bright eyes widened when she saw his tears, and she pulled back from his embrace again, cupping his face in her hands. "You're crying!" 

     Inuyasha never cried. She began brushing his tears away with her thumbs and even leaned forward to kiss some away. But they continued their silent course down his cheeks, never seeming to stop.

     She cried harder.

     "I cry too," Inuyasha whispered, mentally cringing that he was thought to be so emotionless. "I just don't usually do it in front of others." 

     Both of their tears increased, and they sank down to the floor together, holding each other more tightly. So much had gone wrong, and repairing the damage done seemed nothing less than a looming task that lay ahead.

     They cried in each other's arms all night.

A/N: Man, now I'm depressed. I promise that things will get happier. Now this has nothing to do with Inuyasha, but I'm going to share it anyway because it makes me happy. I'm leaving college tomorrow for break! Oh yeah! Heading to my aunt's for a few days, going to visit some family, and then I'm flying home on Saturday! I am soooo happy. Thank You, God! 

Again, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I'll update as soon as I can. And thanks to all of you who gave me information on Inuyasha's age! God Bless! ~_Of Memories Past._


	5. Healing is a Process

Disclaimer: I own nothing…except for the paper that is FINISHED! WOO HOO! 

Mates

By: _Of Memories Past_

Chapter 5: Healing is a Process

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     "I think that I could get use to this," Kagome murmured. She closed her eyes in pure bliss as Inuyasha lightly ran his claws up and down her back while she lay stretched out on the bed. The sharp tips lightly raked over the material of her nightgown, providing the perfect relaxation for her tense muscles. The featherlike motion was more than gentle, and she did not even worry about her silky nightgown getting snagged.

     Kagome giggled inwardly when she remembered the look on Inuyasha's face when she came out with the nightgown on. She had to remember to thank her mother for buying it for her. His jaw had literally dropped when she emerged from their bedroom in the glossy, ice blue gown. The thin-strapped nightdress came to rest just above her knees and scooped a bit lower than she had ever dared to wear before. But she figured since they were trying to make the relationship work, she could have a bit of fun and dress for her mate. After all, he had already put in some effort on his part. She had found it hard believe when he offered her a foot massage. But neither could she decline.

     Sighing, Kagome snuggled her head against a pillow. Her feet felt great, and her back was in pure paradise. 

     Inuyasha smirked. He secretly thanked Miroku as he continued scratching Kagome's back. A sudden bout of confidence provoked him to take the back scratching up to the next level, and he slid his hand up the back of her gown to run his claws over her bare flesh.

     "That feels wonderful," she giggled.

     Yup, she liked that too.

     Maybe the lecher knew a bit more than they all gave him credit for. Besides, his mate was happy. For the first time since they had joined together, Kagome was happy to be in his presence. 

     He loved it.

     He loved how the old tension was gone—at least if only for the moment. Even that day, after their night of confession and understanding, they had run into a few rough spots. Kagome had grown angry when Inuyasha had refused to allow her to go home to visit, and he had been angered because she wanted to leave him again. Not to mention that she had flinched once when he tried to kiss her. Horrified at her own response, Kagome had tried to apologize right away, insisting that new affections would take some getting used to. But Inuyasha had been incensed, refusing to be consoled. He had tried and been brushed off. Unforgivable in his opinion. But an hour and a good ear rub later, he had finally forgiven his mate. Rough spots or not, they knew that later on that they were free to attempt making up. 

     And Inuyasha loved the making up part. Patching up quarrels from before only helped to strengthen their bond as they discovered new things about one another. He loathed the fact that they had not had this figured out sooner, but it was better late than never.

     "You're beautiful," he whispered, leaning down to kiss the back of her neck.

     Kagome rolled over onto her back and looked up at her mate with a smile on her face before pulling his face down to hers and lightly pressing her lips to his.

     "You are too, you know."

     "Feh." Inuyasha growled. He turned his face from her and glared at the wall a moment before moving off of the bed. He stomped over to a small trunk and began stripping off his yukata to change into those things that Kagome called "pajamas." They had been a gift from Mrs. Higurashi, and he admitted that the loose-fitting flannel pants were quite comfortable to sleep in.

     Kagome heaved a sigh, blew her bangs out of her eyes, and sat up. Things had been going _so_ well. One little compliment and he gets uncomfortable enough to go and blow it. Sometimes she thought that she would never understand him. She eyed him warily after he finished dressing and flopped down on the bed.

     "I don't get you."

     Inuyasha lay back, bracing himself on his arms. "What did I do?"

     "Feh," Kagome mimicked and Inuyasha smirked.

     "Good impression."

     "It should be," she frowned. "You do it all the time." Getting a bit bolder, Kagome stretched out and rested her folded arms and upper body on his bare chest. "Why did you do that?"

     It was Inuyasha's turn to frown, and he turned his face from her. "I don't know."

     "Embarrassed?" Kagome prodded. The flush that suddenly stole into his cheeks gave away that she was right in her guess. She reached up and lightly ran her hand through the silver forelocks. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Inuyasha. You're just not use to the attention."

     "No, I'm not," he growled. But he did not stop Kagome from playing with his hair. 

     Kagome smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "Well, you're going to have to get use to it because I think you're gorgeous."

     "Kagome, stop," he warned.

     But she was not about to stop. She smiled again and reached up to scratch his ears. "I love your eyes and their unique color, I love it when you smile, you're adorable when you're asleep and aren't worrying about a thing, and you're ears are very cute." She scratched them a bit more before pulling back and looking at him. "And you have a great body." _Please don't get mad at me._

Inuyasha was indeed a very deep shade of crimson after, but he had a small smile on his face as he looked at his mate out of the corner of his eye. "You think my ears are cute?"

     Blinking with surprise, Kagome pulled herself into his lap, secretly pleased when he wrapped his arms around her. "You didn't know that?"

     Inuyasha shook his head.

     "Well, I think that they are really cute." She giggled when he bent his head down so that she could rub them. Of course, Kagome was more than happy to oblige. "You really like this, don't you?"

     His purr was a good enough response for her, and she smiled widely. Maybe things would be alright after all.

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     "You're not going anywhere, wench."

     Kagome's eyes flashed dangerously. Her fiery orbs locked onto the obstacle in front of her: Inuyasha. He stood stubbornly in the doorway, refusing to let her pass. But asking permission, appealing to him, and pleading were all things of the past now. She was going whether he liked it or not.

     "I haven't been home for weeks, Inuyasha. I'm going now."

     If her low tone was any warning at all to the hanyou, he gave no sign of heeding it. Inuyasha planted his feet firmly into the ground and fixed his eyes on his mate's. "You are not going home right now, Kagome, and you can stand there all day if you want to. I'm not moving."

     Tears of frustration and anger burned in her eyes as she marched up to him and looked up into his face. She stood furiously searching his molten eyes that stared back at her with the same intensity. But she saw the same thing there that she knew her own held: an unyielding will. Suddenly, his eyes slid from hers, practically shouting out that he had no more to say. All was said and done and set in stone.

     Kagome refused to let the tears fall from her eyes and roughly let out a shout of frustration as she harshly snatched up the front of his hakama. "Look at me, Inuyasha!"

     Inuyasha looked his angry mate right in the eye.

     "Do you see my frustration?" she screamed. Her hands pulled violently against the white material she clutched in her hands. "Do you see my hurt? You can't feel the sorrow that I feel from missing my family! I need to see them, and I need to see them now!"

     "No." Simple as that. He turned his gaze from her.Going home was not an option. He could not let her go until she was able to show her family that he had made her happy. If she returned now, they would only see that she was miserable with him and that he had failed. He wanted to make her happy and make her family secure in the fact that he could care for her. But if she went now, all of that would be ruined.

      And, he did not know if he could trust her not to have the well sealed. After all, their life together had not exactly been marital bliss as of yet. What if she became frustrated and decided to never come back? He swallowed. No, he could not allow that to happen.

     _No_. Kagome stepped back, disbelief etched on her delicate features. Her dark brows knitted together closely as she dropped her hands to her side and unknowingly clenched her fists. He had said no? Just like that? No, he could not have. After all of this time asking over and over again, he could not say _no_ again that easily. Even his conscience had to be nagging at him.

     "What did you say?" The tears that she had fought to suppress welled up, burning to be released. 

     Inuyasha growled and shut his eyes tightly in annoyance. "What part about _no_ do you not you understand, little girl? Now shut up about it and go on with whatever you were doing!"

     A sharp blow with an angry hand to his cheek snapped his head to the side. His skin felt as if it had been lit on fire from the sudden, harsh impact, and he slowly brought his hand up to the throbbing red mark before turning his face back to look at Kagome.

     She was livid.

     And, she hit hard.

     "I don't care, Inuyasha! I'm going whether you like it or not!" Kagome marched forward determined to pass him and walk straight to the well even if it meant fighting him for it.

     Inuyasha reached forward and firmly grasped her arm before she could pass him and pulled her to his side. Lowering his lips to her ear, he whispered dangerously. "If you go _near_ that well, I'll destroy it before you ever reach it."

     "You wouldn't."

     "Try me, wench." Inuyasha released her arm and stepped aside. "I'm going to cook dinner since you're obviously in no mood to do so." He snorted when his eyes glanced to the fire in the middle of the room and casually made his way over to it. It was pitiful.  "Go ahead and try to get to that well. It will be kindling in no time flat." _You can't leave me yet, Kagome. _Inuyasha ignored the smell of tears that reached his nose and turned his attention to the waning fire that had been dying in the fire pit since the beginning of their argument.

     Anger, frustration, and now sorrow festered inside of Kagome. She sadly turned her angry eyes to her mate and frowned. He just did not get it. How could she have thought only the night before that things were going to be better? She shook her head. Again, she had been a fool.

     "I'm not even going to s-word you," she spat out. "You don't even deserve _that_." She crossed to their bedroom and stopped in the doorway. "Cook for only yourself. I'm going to sleep."

     "Goodnight," he said tersely. His eyes never left the fire that he carefully poked at.

     Kagome swallowed the urge to cry at his indifference and turned around.

     "Night."

A/N: Well, I'm going to dream happy, fluffy things tonight. NOT! Don't worry, things will be better soon. Sorry it's taken so long to post. I got home from college and started working. I need $! But I am still working on stories. I just ask for patience because I have a LOT to do. I hope that you enjoyed and please review. If I don't get another chance to post, have a happy holiday everyone. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and happy anything else there may be! God Bless! ~ _Of Memories Past_


	6. To Sit or not to Sit

Disclaimer: I own nothing…except for a really nasty cold. Yuck.

A/N: To the readers who reviewed chapter five… 

Perelandra: Thanks for reading so late. I've pulled that one before too. I hope your eyes feel better, and I agree. Inuyasha needs less stupid pills. And be as corny as you want! If you want to hear how corny I am, I'll include my favorite joke in the next chapter!

UsAgI-ChAn206: I laughed when I read your review. You're one of the first to blatantly insult Inuyasha. It gave me a good laugh, thanks!

Xxspit-firexX: Thank you very much for the compliment, and I'm glad that you are enjoying it!

sweetdaeth: Thanks for the encouragement, and believe me when I say that I can understand your "Ah!" frustration. Thanks!

---: Thank you for the enthusiasm!

loveyaa: (I like the penname) Thanks for the support and here's that update you asked for!

blahblahHOBO: I typed like the wind to get this done. Hope you enjoy!

InuyashazFukaiMori: I'm glad this is intriguing you, and thanks for the good luck wishes!

silentmiko242: Great talking to you a while back and thanks for reading and reviewing the story!

Beezle: Lol…Booya! Thanks!

KougasMyMan: A Kouga lover with a great penname (Hey, I like him too)! Thanks for reading!

CraziAznGurl: I liked your review. That's how I feel after a lot of stories I read. Thanks!

Kaboko: I'm glad my papers are done too! Thanks for commenting on it. It lets me know others care about some of the stuff I have to put up with. And I'm glad you're enjoying the story also. Thanks!

insane general: Thanks for loving the story!

NR: Hey! Something you wanted is in this chapter!

Dearest: I hope that you enjoyed your vacation too and had a good holiday! I read your profile. Dearest is one of my favorite songs too. Gonna listen to it now!

xo-Kagome-ox: J Thanks! Please enjoy the update!

Jade Catseye: Hey, thanks for reading! I'm not sure if Kikyo is going to show up yet, but if she does, I don't think that I'm going to have her being a jerk. She gets picked on a lot, so I'd try to keep her a bit more passive. She won't cause trouble if she shows up, don't worry!

Jabba1: Hey, Abby! Thanks for the understanding about the holidays. Things were crazy. Glad you're enjoying!

Tenma Koneko: Lol, never had anyone offer me money for a story before. Here's your update!

lilemmy: Hope you handled okay! Here's the next chapter!

Vernie: I love your stories! I was so happy to see that you had reviewed one of mine! Thanks, and I'm glad you like it!

Serina Tsuki: Lol…here's more!

merlyn1382: Thanks for paying attention to emotional detail. I appreciate it!

katergator: Hey, I hope your finals went okay. They aren't fun. As for Miroku and Sango, I'm not sure yet…lol. What do you think?

JadesRose: Another frustrated person. I didn't like him too much either at that moment. But don't worry, things are getting better. And thanks again for helping get me moving with that paper!

dennisud: Hey! I completely agree that it's time more more fluff and less angst. Thank you so much for all of your advice!

Sammyosa92: I envy your sister…money is a pain. But I liked your review, and here's your fluff!

Hououza: I hope you had a good Christmas too! And thank you for paying attention to detail and being understanding about updates!

jammies2000: Thank you for support and questions. I think that Kagome is going to stay with him.

Wow, that's a lot. I am SO sorry if I missed anyone. And thank you to all of the other readers! I really appreciate all of your comments. Well, on with the story!

Mates

By: _Of Memories Past_

Chapter 6: To Sit or Not to Sit…

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     "Ooooh, he makes me so angry!"

     Kagome carefully lifted her clothing from around her ankles to avoid getting them completely wet from the snow that covered the ground. She lifted her face to the sky and frowned. It was cold and miserable outside, and she had at least a mile walk back to her home. The gray skies were growing darker as the minutes passed even though it was only midmorning. She sighed. The sky darkening this early definitely foretold a nasty snowstorm—one that would be coming on quickly. Secretly praying that she would make it home before the storm hit, Kagome lifted her miko clothing higher and set her pace quicker.

     Her thoughts began to wander as she laboriously trekked back to her hut. She scowled darkly. It was _his_ fault that she was out here in the first place. If he had not been so stubborn, rude, and mulish, she would have never left for the village first thing in the morning to find solace in Kaede and Sango. Truth was, she always felt better after talking to them. They gave her some hope that she and Inuyasha would eventually work everything out, and right now just that would make all of her dreams come true.

     Kagome stumbled as a sudden sick feeling washed over her, and she pressed her hand to her stomach as a strong wave of nausea hit her like and oncoming train. "Oh no."

     Oh no was right. She had just enough sense to lean over the barren bushes before the stew that Kaede had made that morning decided to come up with full force. Kagome retched until her stomach was completely empty. When she stood up a dark grimace crossed her lips.

     "Great, now I'm getting sick. See what arguing with him and running around in the snow all day has done to me?" She pushed on once more, worry filling her being as the first, fat flakes began to fall. "Oh, please let me make it home." Images of their cozy hut and the warm fire in her room snuck into her mind as the wind grew chillier. Oh, how she coveted that warm fire at the moment!

     But she would have no suck luck when it came to making it home. After landing unceremoniously into a deep snowdrift, the blizzard hit vehemently. Now wet and freezing cold, Kagome found that it was becoming more difficult to move her legs. Actually, it was becoming difficult for her to even feel her legs. Not to mention that she could not see two feet in front of her. 

     "Not now," she protested. "I'm not going to freeze to death out here!" But even as she spoke, her knees buckled and she fell forward into the wet snow. "Argh." 

     A sudden flash of red crossed her line of vision when she looked up, and for a moment she thought that she was imagining things. But things soon proved to be truth and not her imagination. She suddenly felt herself being lifted out of the wet, cold snow into a pair of strong, warm arms. Kagome looked up into the amber eyes of her husband and mouthed her thanks. Angry with him as she was, she knew that there was no way she would be getting out of the snowstorm alone. Besides, the fact that he came out looking for her gave her some assurance that he did care. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her back home bridal style. Pressing closer to him to keep warm, that she was thoroughly soaked became even more evident.

     Kagome lightly dusted the flakes off of his snowy hair as Inuyasha stepped through the doorway to their home. She did not even bother with herself, knowing that the action would be hopeless and continued to brush off the snowflakes that clung to his haori.

     Inuyasha growled when one of her hands struck one of his sensitive ears in an attempt to flick the snow off. He flatted the offended ear to his skull and shifted her onto his back while he coaxed the fire in the main room back to life, still a little irritated at having his ear flicked. But his annoyance disappeared when he felt Kagome lean up and kiss the tip of it. He smirked unknowingly to her at the apology.

     The fire slowly came back to life, and Kagome rested her head against his back as she waited for him to finish. It was so much warmer inside of their hut. She was content to be carried around like a pup would be on her mate's back. He was warm while she was not; he was strong while at the moment she felt as if she would fall apart. Kagome suddenly shivered as the icy dampness of her clothing finally sunk down deep into her skin. She sneezed.

     Inuyasha threw a golden glance behind him and looked at her just as the fire blazed fully to life. Chuckling, he shook his head and carried her into their bedroom. He gently placed her on the floor, watching with interest as Kagome intently watch the colors the amber flames of the fire in their bedroom painted on the walls. While she was distracted he pulled out a large basin from the corner and settled it near the fire.

     "You are taking a hot bath," he said, leaving the room to retrieve a few wooden buckets.

     Kagome was not about to argue as she sneezed again. A hot bath sounded wonderful. She anxiously pulled a trunk out from underneath their bed and searched for some bubble bath. Nothing was more relaxing.

     Meanwhile, Inuyasha stepped back out into the storm to fill the buckets with snow. When he came back in, he pulled out a large caldron and set it up over the fire before emptying the buckets of snow into it. After that was complete, he quickly ran outside to get more snow and melt it before the new water in the caldron boiled. It would not do him any good to scald his mate. But luckily for him, he was able to complete the task in perfect timing, and he removed the caldron from the flames.

     He carefully refilled the buckets with the comfortably hot water and walked back into their room to see Kagome wearing a little pink kimono that she called a "bathrobe" and holding a bottle of bubble bath. Inuyasha silently poured the first two buckets into the basin and allowed Kagome to get in and start making her bubbles before leaving to retrieve the rest of her bath water. When he came back, Kagome was busily scrubbing at her skin with the scented soap that she liked to use, sneezing from time to time. She smiled up at him gratefully when he added more water to her bath. Inuyasha returned one last time with three buckets. Two of them were emptied into the basin, leaving Kagome up to her shoulders in water and bubbles, and the third he left sitting beside the tub in case she wanted to wash her hair.

     "Warm enough?"

     "It's perfect, thank you," Kagome answered, lifting her foot out of the water to get the bottom of it with a scrub brush. 

     Inuyasha suppressed a smile when the slick bottom of the basin got the best of her, causing her to slip. Kagome's feet flew up into the air as her head disappeared underneath the water. Her startled screech turned into a gurgle when the water took over, and she kicked around a bit before she got her bearings straight. A bit of soapy water splashed over onto the floor as she struggled to get up, and Inuyasha finally gave into his laughter as he leaned over and grasped her arms to help her. However, he did not anticipate the floor to be as slippery as it was. 

     He felt his feet sliding out from under him before he even knew what was happening. Amber eyes growing wide as he felt himself fall, he could only pray that Kagome had the common sense to move her legs. This was not a fall that he was going to recover from.

     But fortunately, Kagome did see him slip, and she had her knees pulled up to her chest just in time to see her mate crash into the basin with her. She giggled at the sight before her. 

     His legs hung over the edge of the basin as he surfaced to glare at the floor that had caused him to slip. Ears flattened against his head to keep the water out, Inuyasha's silvery hair was plastered down all around him, and _his_ clothing was now drenched. He grimaced. This was not exactly how he had planned his morning. First there was the case of his missing mate, then there was the snowstorm, and now he was soaked just because some soapy water had caused him to slip. A sudden giggle came from Kagome and he glared at her.

     Kagome merely shrugged and giggled some more. "Scrub brush?"

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     "You like having your back rubbed?"

     Inuyasha drowsily opened his amber eyes before yawning and turning his head so that the right side of his face rested on his arms. He was stretched out on the floor in the main room in front of the fire, wearing his pajama pants while Kagome tried to towel dry him because of his little accident in the basin earlier. He had almost been asleep when her quiet voice had awoken him. Closing his eyes again, Inuyasha began to drift off as Kagome continued rubbing at his bare back with the towel.

     "Inuyasha?"

     "Hmmm?" 

     Her soft laughter filled the room. "You really do like having your back rubbed, but I'm afraid that it's dry now." She carefully moved her hands forward to begin drying his hair.

     "No, don't stop," he murmured, closing his eyes yet again. He was warm and comfortable, and her hands rubbing gently across his back and in his hair was relaxing him to no end. Unbeknownst to him, low vibrations rumbled deep in his chest, sounding like a purr.

     "You can purr?"

     He looked up to find Kagome staring at him in amazement. Her hands had stopped their ministrations and now inertly held the towel that had been used for drying him, and her deep, brown eyes were simply wide.

     Inuyasha grumbled grouchily. "It's not purring." That's right, make him sound like little feline. 

     He started when he felt her press her ear against his upper back, not having expected her to do something like that. Her even breathing gently blew over him and warmed his skin as she lay there listening intently. He rolled his eyes. One minute she did not want him near her, and the next she was all over him. Women.

     "Hear anything interesting?" Inuyasha murmured. He uninterestedly lifted his claws to inspect them. Women could be so strange at times.

     "Do it again." 

     "What?" He whirled around and looked at her excited, flushed face. His eyes also took notice of the way her wet hair carefully had been knotted atop her head, and he noticed yet another pair of pajamas that he had never seen before. A good view of the slightly lower neckline made him determine that he liked these pajamas also, even though they did look a bit strange. She wore silky, lime colored shorts with aqua and yellow flowers that challenged the length of her old school uniform's skirt and a simple aqua, thin-strapped tank top that fit her perfectly. A bit strange to wear in the winter, but their home was plenty warm enough.

     "Do the purr thing again," she smiled.

     Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha turned over on his back and sat up. A smile tugged at his lips when Kagome scrambled into his lap to keep him from going anywhere. When she had firmly planted herself there, she looked straight at him and made her request once more.

     "I can't, Kagome!" he insisted. "It's not something I can just do. It just…happens." Inuyasha watched her warily as she grinned.

     "It just happens when you're comfortable?" she questioned. Her hands rested neatly folded in her lap.

     Inuyasha's gaze turned suspicious when she started fidgeting with her hands. "What do you want, Kagome?"

     Kagome smiled and draped her arms around his neck. "I just want to hear you purr again."

     "It's not…" his words slacked off when those hands that had previously been fidgeting began rubbing his ears and running through his damp hair. "…purring." Inuyasha's head fell forward to rest on her shoulder, while Kagome took her time stroking the soft ears and silver hair.

     She smiled successfully when Inuyasha began to purr again, and she quickly pressed her ear to his chest to listen. A giggle escaped her and she began rubbing harder, giggling again when the sounds resonating in his chest grew louder.

     Wrapping his arms around her, Inuyasha lay back on the ground beside the fire and held her in his arms while she continued to listen and rub his ears.

     Satisfied that she had heard the low vibrations, Kagome gave his ears a final tweak before propping herself up on his chest with her arms. She watched as his eyes drowsily opened and looked at her. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

     "You happy now?" he whispered.

     Kagome nodded, smiling. "It's a very nice sound."

     She was rewarded with another very nice sound when Inuyasha chuckled and smiled again. Feeling brave, Kagome leaned down and pressed her lips to his.

     His lips were hot against hers as he kissed her back, resting his hands against her back. He tilted his head to bring the kiss to the next step and smiled against her lips when she responded immediately. A chill ran up his spine when she ran her hands underneath his hair. Inuyasha angled his neck and began to press his mouth against her neck and shoulder, listening to her breathing becoming more staggered.

     "I feel…" Kagome breathed, inhaling harshly.

     Inuyasha placed his mouth against hers again for a few moments before turning his attention back to her neck. He bit her lightly, able to both smell and taste the sweat on her body. "You feel?"

     Kagome groaned and all of a sudden brought her hand out from his hair to push against his stomach and lift herself off of him. "I feel sick." 

     "I didn't think I kissed that bad," Inuyasha grumbled.

     "You kiss great," Kagome answered with difficulty as she stood up. 

     Clutching her stomach, she ran for the entrance and flung back the covering as a violent wave of nausea hit her like a gunshot. Kagome ran straight into the blizzard, ignoring the biting and bitter cold as she purged herself of nothing but stomach acid and bodily fluids since she had earlier rid herself of everything that she had eaten.     

     Inuyasha blinked for a few moments, recognizing signs that he was not quite sure he was ready to handle yet and then was by her side in an instant, shielding her from as much of the snow and wind as he could while she heaved. When she was through, he picked her up and carefully carried her to their room to lay her on the bed. While Kagome reached under the bed to get into the trunk to retrieve mouthwash, Inuyasha took bit of their drinking water supply and a rag and brought it back to their room. After Kagome had finished with the mouthwash and lay back down, he dipped the cloth into the water and began sponging her sweaty face. He grimaced, knowing that she did not feel well at all.

     "I'm tired, cold, I feel sick, and now my throat hurts from throwing up." Kagome made a face. Stomach acids would do that to you.

     "It's okay, Kagome," he soothed, pulling back the covers so that she could crawl under them. He tucked them around her warmly when she did and then sat on the edge of the bed and reached forward to massage her sore throat.

     "Why do I feel like this?" she murmured.

     Inuyasha carefully bent over her to catch as much of her scent as possible and rested his face in the crook of her neck. He inhaled deeply, the fact that she scent had changed more than literally hitting him in the face, and he cursed himself for not noticing it sooner before gently pressing his palm against her lower abdomen.

     "Inuyasha," Kagome scolded, "I don't feel good right now!"

     "Ssshh," he said quietly, and he rested his ear where his hand had been. His eyes widened at what he heard, and it only went to confirm what he already knew. It was difficult to hear, but he had definitely heard it. 

     Inuyasha smiled contently and pressed his ear against her a bit firmer, listening to the small sounds of life being knit together in her womb. The smile was still on his lips as he tenderly kissed her stomach and then gently stretched out over her to press a kiss against her mouth. He rested his weight on her carefully and then slid his arms behind her and pushed them up until he could gently rub the back of her neck and stroke her cheek. 

     "What's gotten into you?" Kagome asked with a small, confused smile on her face. The smile grew larger when Inuyasha grinned at her and then leaned down to give her a warm, lingering kiss. She quickly pecked his lips once more when he pulled away. "Not that I'm complaining."

     "You're pregnant," Inuyasha said simply, but his eyes glowed with a pride and tender love that only males get when they find out that their wife is pregnant with their child. And Inuyasha was ecstatic. 

     Kagome's eyes widened as she looked up at him in shock. "I'm going to have a baby?"

     "You're going to have _our_ baby. Our pup." 

     The look in his amber eyes and the words he just said brought tears to her chocolate orbs. Most youkai males claimed the pup for their own, leaving the female out of the matter entirely. They saw her as a mate and one there for caring for the young _they_ sired. But Inuyasha had looked at her lovingly and had recognized something that they had done together. He willingly acknowledged and accepted that she was a part of this and wanted her to be a part of this.

     "_Our_ pup?" she choked.

     "_Our_ pup," he answered. He smiled and brushed her tears away. "I'm human also, Kagome. I won't see everything as a demon sees it." He leaned down to kiss her lightly. "This is _our _baby."

     Kagome reached up and brushed his bangs from his eyes and smiled threw her tears before throwing her arms around his neck and laughing. His laughter joined hers as they rejoice in the fact that they were going to have a child. A child that was part of him and part of her.

     Inuyasha looked down at her affectionately, a warm glow in his molten eyes. "The pup is ours," he whispered, nuzzling her cheek. "Mine and my wife's. Mine and my mate's."

     Tears of happiness streamed down Kagome's cheeks, and she closed her eyes as he settled beside her under the covers for a midday nap. The harsh winds, snow, and frigid air still blew around relentlessly outside, but it could not penetrate the warmth of their hut as they peacefully fell asleep.

     It was the first time that either of them had ever felt that they were husband and wife—felt that they were mates.

A/N: Lot's of fluff, but that's an okay thing! They needed it. Yuck, I have to work tomorrow. I hope to get another chapter out soon and I never thought I'd say it, but I think things will be easier to do once I'm back at school. Go figure. Oh well, I hope that you all enjoyed. Please review! I do read and consider them. God Bless! ~_Of Memories Past_


	7. Through the Well

Mates

By: Of Memories Past

Chapter 7: Through the Well...

_Dedicated to Hanyou-elf who I know would be kicking my butt up and down the panhandle of Florida if I didn't get this chapter out. This one's for you girl!_

oOo

Kagome placed a hand against her aching back and slowly trudged back to her hut. She was tired, Kaede's wonderful meals were making her stomach turn, food was hard to keep down, her breasts were so swollen that the slightest touch caused a great deal of pain, and she could not stop urinating.

Pregnancy was overrated.

Looking down at her steadily growing abdomen, Kagome tried to remember what her back use to feel like without the added weight in her front. She gave up trying when a pang shot up her spine. Days where her back felt fairly normal were few and far in between anymore, and she learned to relish them when they came.

Absently, she wondered what it had been like for her mother when she had been pregnant. Tears unwelcomely sprung into her eyes at the thought of her mother, but she suppressed them. It would do no good to let Inuyasha see her upset. But nevertheless, she was four months pregnant, and her family did not even know.

The warmth exuding from the hut was more than welcomed as she pushed the door covering aside, even though the temperatures in April had warmed up quite a bit. A homey, orange glow reflected off the walls, and Kagome moved toward the fire in the middle of the hut. Her shoes came off first, followed by her cloak and the socks that she had with her from her time. Left in only her miko robes, Kagome took a moment to sit by the fire and relax before moving to the bedroom to change.

When pregnant, even the simple things were more tiring.

She stretched her hands out and wiggled her fingers around a bit, trying to get the circulation flowing smoothly again. Her stomach, just now starting to show, poked out a bit more when she sat. A proud smile lightened up her face, and she dropped her hands to rub her stomach.

"You didn't like Kaede's cooked rabbit, did you?" She laughed when her stomach gurgled. "Well, I liked it, but because you didn't I wasn't allowed to keep it. Now I'm hungry, and I think that you are too." Her smile softened. "But it doesn't matter if you don't like it. I'll keep trying until I find something that you do. Maybe tonight's dinner will be better for us, ne?"

Kagome looked up from her conversation with her unborn child and looked around the hut. A perplexed looked settled on her features when it dawned on her that she was alone. "Speaking of dinner, where is your daddy?" She was about to get up when she saw the door covering move.

Inuyasha stepped in a moment later. Kagome could tell that he had been running by the looks of his wind-blown, disheveled hair. He wasn't breathing hard, but his breaths were a bit quicker than normal.

"Deer get away?" she asked lightly.

"Keh," he snorted, "the deer never get away."

Kagome ducked her head to hide a smile. Of course the deer never got away. She remembered a similar conversation from a few weeks earlier. The deer only got away if he decided they were worthy enough and he let them. She shook her head. Male pride. When she looked up, she noticed Inuyasha subtly sniffing the air while his eyes darted quickly around the room, searching.

"What's wrong?"

His attention focused back on her. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh," Kagome said quietly, before a radiant smile lit up her face. "Our baby."

"The pup?" Inuyasha walked over to her and pulled her up gently when she lifted her hands to him. "Why? She can't hear you."

"Actually, she can," Kagome countered, tucking herself warmly into his arms. Her own arms found their way around his waist, and she felt his wrap securely around her back and shoulders. "My voice echoes in my body when I speak. She might not comprehend what it is she's hearing, but after she's born she'll recognize my voice. She'll..." Her voice stopped.

Startled at her sudden silence, Inuyasha pulled back a bit and looked down at Kagome. "What's wrong?" It wasn't like her to just stop speaking, and he could detect the scent of salt.

"She? You know that the baby is female?"

He took in her wide, watery eyes and grinned. "I have a good nose."

That Kagome was excited would have been an understatement. Her shrill voice pierced the air as she squealed and extricated herself from Inuyasha's arms to celebrate. For a pregnant lady, celebrating consisted of clapping her hands together and very lightly bouncing up in down in her excitement while joyously laughing. Inuyasha knew that if she had been capable of cartwheels, they would have happened too.

"Oi, calm down, woman." His ears pinned against his skull.

"We're going to have a little girl!" And Kagome threw herself at Inuyasha. The force of her weight caught him off balance and he struggled for a moment to keep them both from falling.

"Not if you keep jumping around like that!" Inuyasha snapped, grabbing her shoulders. "Take it easy!"

Kagome stopped her jolty movements and clasped her hands behind her back, beaming. "Little girl."

Her vocabulary obviously consisted of only two words at the moment. Inuyasha shook his head before pulling her close and tucking her under his chin. In truth, he was as excited as she, but he had other concerns as well. It would be hard to determine at present, but Inuyasha knew the possibilities that lay ahead.

"Kagome," he took her hand and led her into the bedroom, "you need to listen to me."

Her eyes narrowed in curiosity and worry as she descended onto the bed. She awkwardly crawled to the head of the bed to rest her back against the wall, snatching Inuyasha's pillow along the way. The extra support against her back helped the aching. Once she was situated, Kagome looked where Inuyasha sat looking at the floor at the foot of the bed.

"What's wrong?"

"Your pregnancy." Inuyasha paused for a moment, searching his mind for the easiest way to explain. "It could be...difficult."

"What do you mean difficult?"

He expected the alarm in her voice. Sango had warned him that this would be the last thing she wanted to hear, especially with her first child. In truth, he had felt and reacted the same way when Sango decided to bring this bit of information to light. Inuyasha grimaced. Actually, he had reacted a lot worse and ended up getting smacked in the face by the taijya for being _very_ rude. But he was going to forget that unfortunate incident...

"Inuyasha!"

"Calm down, Kagome," he soothed, taking her hand. "Your body was not created for holding youkai—"

"Not completely youkai."

Inuyasha glared at her, his wife obviously oblivious to the minor insult. "Youkai pups. It can be done, but your body will be put under more stress than a normal human pregnancy as time goes on."

Kagome eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean _stress_?"

"Pains," he said, clearly uncomfortable discussing this subject. "Feeling harsh movements within you. When the pup starts to move, she will _really_ be moving. A normal kick may feel like a punch in the stomach to you."

"Great."

"I didn't say you couldn't handle it."

"It's not a matter of whether I _can_ handle it, Inuyasha. It's a matter of _will_ I handle it." Kagome awkwardly rolled herself off the side of the bed and stood facing him. "How long before things start to get difficult?"

"About a month. Youkai grow slightly faster too."

"I don't want to hear anymore." She held up her hands and sat back down on the bed. "We'll worry about it as it comes along. Now," she put her arms around his neck, "what's for dinner?"

Inuyasha growled when she reached up to tweak his ears, but she knew he was not serious. It was all just a front.

"You're not being nice," she complained, "and I'm hungry."

"I'm not nice," he said standing up and leaving the room.

"Well, not right now you're not," Kagome mumbled, laying back on the bed. Things had been going better for both of them. They had their rough spots still, but in general their time together was peaceful. Once in a while a bad fight would break out, but they had put enough hard work and time into their relationship now that they were able to work things out.

Sighing, Kagome awkwardly pushed herself up and left for the main room.

Apparently, the deer had not gotten away, and Inuyasha was crouched by the fire, nursing the flames to life and spitting the meat. Next to him, a clay bowl was already filled with chopped up vegetables and water, ready for stewing over the iron griddle that Kagome had brought with her from her time.

"So little faith in your mate," he said lightly, lifting his eyes to meet hers. He was teasing her, and she knew it.

"Well, I suppose I can forgive you for being irritating back in the bedroom. Dinner does smell pretty good." She smirked. "Did you have to threaten Kaede for the deer?"

She laughed when he gave her a pointed glare, knowing that he was not serious. "You love me."

"I do," he agreed.

The mirth in her eyes changed to warmth at his words, and she fell into a comfortable silence while walking over to the fire to sit at his side. He held out his arm and she leaned into him, happy to just sit there and cook dinner together. He turned the meat and she stirred the vegetables, him pulling her back when he felt she got too close to the flames. She argued that she was not a porcelain doll, and he shot back that she was if he wanted her to be. Then they both laughed at their foolishness and sat back to rest as they had been until dinner was finished cooking.

"Kaede made rabbit today," Kagome said.

"Did you keep it down?"

"Nope."

He chuckled. "I think she's going to be a picky eater."

Kagome smiled. "I think you're right."

Dinner finished and with Inuyasha's help, Kagome stood and went to retrieve some plates from the trunk under her bed. She knelt down and pulled out the trunk, popping off the lid, and selecting two plates with a vine patterned around the rims. A smile brightened her features. Her plates, her home, her husband, their baby...

A tear rolled down her cheek before she had time to brush it away, Inuyasha was in their room, alarm on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He knelt in front of her as she snapped the lid back on the trunk and slid it back under the bed.

"I'm fine," she laughed, wiping her eyes. "My hormones are just out of whack. It happens when you're pregnant."

Inuyasha simply nodded, though he had no idea what hormones were.

"I'm just happy."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha stood and then held his hands out to pull Kagome up. She gladly grasped his and then giggled like a schoolgirl when he lifted her off the ground and into his arms to kiss her.

"I love you," she grinned, her feet still dangling off the ground.

"Then do me a favor?" he asked, setting her down. He took her hand and led her back into the main room, putting food on their plates as she sat down and made herself comfortable.

"What?" She was curious and slightly confused.

"Go back to your time with me."

Kagome stared at him, not knowing what to say. She had not been back since before they had been married and now...

"You're serious?" she swallowed.

He nodded, not dropping her gaze.

Next thing he knew, she was screaming, laughing, and throwing her arms around his neck.

oOo

"Don't let go of me."

Kagome rolled her eyes and squeezed him tighter. "I said that I wouldn't. If I hold on any tighter, my arms are going to fall off. Just jump!"

Inuyasha chucked at her agitation, and Kagome poked him in the ribs with her elbow. She was excited, and the vibe exuded from her. To have kept her away for so long...

He leaped high into the air and descended into the well. The magic of transcending time surrounded them, and Kagome began laughing giddily, squirming in his arms. She was like a little kid at the moment, and he found it endearing. When they finally reached the bottom of the well, Inuyasha tightened his grip around her and jumped out.

As much as he knew she loved him, Kagome struggled out of his hold as soon as they hit the ground and began running around like a little kid at Disney World, touching and smelling everything she could find and then doing the pregnant woman's celebration again, bouncing up and down lightly while clapping her hands.

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes.

Then Kagome bolted out the shrine door.

"Hey, Kagome!" he shouted as he mate disappeared outside into the dusk.

"Souta!" he head her voice squeal in delight.

The little boy stood by the house, a small watering can in his hands as he took care of his mother's flowers. He stopped what he was doing and stared at his sister and then Inuyasha as he came out of the well house.

Then he smirked. He did not run to either Kagome or Inuyasha like they thought he would have but instead bolted into the house.

"Mama!" they heard him shout. "Kagome got fat!"

"Got fat?" Kagome sputtered, looking down at her small mound. "I'm not that big yet!"

Inuyasha was chuckling behind her. "You're mother is going to have it figured out before she even gets out of the house."

Kagome grinned. "Then get ready to run for your ears, daddy, because she's going to go on and on about how she hopes the pup has yours."

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_more to come later..._

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A/N: (Memories cautiously peeks around the corner) Hello everyone! How are you all doing? I hope everything's going well. Now, I know it's been and extremely long time since my last update (ducks the flying, rotten vegetables). Sorry. Life has been busy. Life has been a mess. Life has been _life_. And I have been uninspired and unsure of how to continue. I refuse to just put out chapters for the sake of updating, leaving them worthless and not thought out.

And life is still busy. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm 20 years old, in school, and responsible to getting my life in order so that I can support myself. I will be training as an EMT soon, and then finishing my degree before going on to Paramedic school, and perhaps even grad school. I'm going to be busy and updates are going to be crazy. But I meant it when I said that I am not giving up on any of my stories. It will just take time. I've begun the next chapter for _You're not Alone_ and hope to have it out within the next month. It has definitely been my biggest challenge. Thank you to all of you who have been waiting patiently and sending words of encouragement. I would ask that you all review the story if you read it and let me know that it is still worth continuing, especially after having been so long. And as always, your input is greatly appreciated. God Bless and I'm back! _Of Memories Past._


	8. Thank God for Bubbles

A/N: Okay, ladies and gents, this is the un-fun part of being a fanfiction author. I hate writing notes like this, but it seems that I have to. So, those of you who are not guilty, just hang in there for a few moments. I'll be done with this shortly. As for those of you who enjoy writing reviews that say "update now," "I've been waiting forever, so update," or my favorite: "why haven't you updated _You're not Alone_?" listen here, and listen carefully. I have tried explaining through author's notes during my updates what is going on in my life, and most people empathetically understand.

For those of you who do not, let me explain. Fanfiction is not my job occupation. I have a life outside of Inuyasha. I have a family to care for, friends that need my support, and I have a job. Fanfiction comes far after those on the list. I am writing now to say that the rude "reviews" are going to stop, or the end result is simple. I will, take heed, start blocking certain reviewers and stop accepting anonymous reviews if I have to. I do not want to as many anonymous reviewers are kind, but this is ridiculous, people. And as for _You're not Alone_, I have many stories to finish. Whichever one I update is up to me. Yes, I would love to put out more chapters on all of them, but so I don't put out something poorly written, I need to update the stories that have had time to be thought of. Sometimes the only thing that keeps me writing is a moment of inspiration, and quite frankly I cannot choose which story I am going to be inspired to write about. Yes, feel free to tell me that you are looking forward to other stories being updated, but do not waste my time in reviews for one story asking rudely why another hasn't been updated instead of the one I chose to update.

And let me remind you what a review is. A review is constructive criticism on how to improve one's stories, or they are sharing what one liked or disliked about it. If you are concerned about updates and want to ask me about them, my email is E-mail me about those things, don't waste time in reviews. This goes without saying for any author.

Yes, this is blunt, but it could be more so. If you think I've overreacted, sorry. E-mail me, don't take it up in a review. Flame me, yell at me, fine. Frankly, to be blunt, most of you I do not know personally, so your ranting is nothing more than annoying. I've said what needs to be said.

As for the rest of my readers, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your patience, understanding, and encouragement. I cannot begin to tell you how much it is appreciated.

This chapter is dedicated to two people: Dennisud and Hououza. Since my introduction to the fanfiction world, I have always been able to depend on these two especially for constructive criticism and encouragement. More often than not, my first review comes from Dennisud and then the next one after that is from Hououza. Thank you, you guys, I've always enjoyed hearing from you.

Now then, on with the story...

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Mates

By: Of Memories Past

Chapter 8: _Thank God for Bubbles_

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Half an hour and too many ear tweaks later, Inuyasha found himself sinking to the floor in Kagome's bedroom. He breathed out slowly and then inhaled deeply, taking in the forgotten, familiar scents of his wife's previous dwelling. The soft smell of roses lingered on her things and reminded him of the many times that he had found solace in her room. Peace never came to him in the past as it had here in her room. Five-hundred years ahead of his time he could find the serenity he needed.

Inuyasha snickered. The things that he had to do to come up with an excuse to stay there. After a while he simply gave up trying and stuck with the age old tale that he had to make sure that she came back in time. How often had Miroku teased him about how far he would go for a nap?

"Pregnant!"

Inuyasha jolted upright from where he had been slouching on the floor at the sound of Mrs. Higurashi's squeal.

"That's the eightieth time," Inuyasha grumbled, trudging over to the bedroom door and closing it. His hands reached up to massage his aching ears. To say that Kagome's mother was excited would be a serious understatement. And to Inuyasha's chagrin, her enthusiasm was contagious. It wasn't two minutes after Mrs. Higurashi spotted Kagome's stomach that Kagome had joined in the celebration, bouncing up and down in the only way that she could while clapping her hands and pulling his ears along with her mother.

It was abuse.

He had been pulled on, hugged, whacked upside the head by Kagome's grandfather for getting his "precious baby" pregnant, kissed, tackled by Souta, hugged and kissed some more, and so on.

A slow grin spread over his lips. Okay, maybe it was not _that_ bad. And now he even had a few moments of peace and semi-quiet while Kagome and her mother looked at Kagome and Souta's old.

"Inuyasha, look at these!"

Peace and quiet gone.

He started when Kagome burst in the room, followed closely by her mother, and tucked herself under his arms. Before he had time to recover, she shoved several small baby outfits under his nose, and he had to look down cross-eyed in order to see them. Then all of a sudden Mrs. Higurashi was next to him, showing him baby pictures galore. Those were a bit more interesting. He liked the ones of Kagome, and had to admit that she was quite adorable. Absently, he himself began seeping into the baby hype, picturing what a mini version of kagome would look like in the tiny clothes currently under his nose.

"Mama," Kagome yawned, "time to relax." She dropped the baby clothes on her bed and stretched out her limbs, her stomach protruding more as she flexed.

Inuyasha smiled at her image, but he also silently began thanking God for the reprieve.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Hungry?"

"Yes, and I'm sure Inuyasha could go for a snack too."

She knew him too well.

"Ramen," Mrs. Higurashi asked, laughing quietly.

Inuyasha nodded.

"Actually, that sounds good," Kagome said. "I think I'll take a bath and then come down."

"Take your time. I'll come and get you when it's almost ready." Mrs. Higurashi kissed Kagome and then hugged Inuyasha.

"I really do hope the baby has your ears," she said, smiling when his arms circled her tightly. She pulled back and tugged his ears. "Such a sweet boy. I'll come up in about an hour."

She left and closed the door behind her.

"That wasn't so bad," Kagome said to him when her mother left.

"Keh."

"Don't start," she warned, turning to her bathroom. "This is going to be a nice, relaxing—"

"_Relaxing_?"

Kagome glared. "Relaxing and fun visit. So your ears suffer a little. Do you know what it's like to have three people patting your stomach all at once?"

Inuyasha involuntarily shuddered.

"Oh, stop it, you big baby. Just enjoy the break." She disappeared into her bathroom then.

Inuyasha heard the squeaking of the faucet as the hot water was turned on and then the sound of Kagome rummaging through drawers. Curiosity drove him toward the bathroom where his wife was making a ruckus.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Bubbles," she mumbled, piling random bathroom things onto the sink counter, "and matches. Ah! Here they are!"

A pink container appeared on the counter followed by a small paper book of matches. Kagome unscrewed the bubble cap and poured a generous amount into the filling tub, splashing the water around a bit to get the bubbles growing more rapidly, and then struck a match and began lighting the candles in her bathroom.

Inuyasha sneezed when she struck the match, sulfur invading his nose mercilessly. But soon the sweet scent of vanilla filtered though the bathroom, soothing the sting that the sulfur inflicted. He found himself breathing easier.

"Could you turn off the lights, please?"

"What?"

"The lights." Kagome pointed at the switch on the wall as she began tying her hair back on top of her head. "It will be more relaxing with just the candles."

Inuyasha did as she asked and flipped the switch. Soft candlelight spread gently across the room, casting shadows on the lightly painted walls. He watched as Kagome took two fluffy towels from the cabinet and hung them over the drying bar before beginning to take off the loose sweats she wore.

He smiled as she began to undress and leaned back against the counter to watch her. She had always been beautiful to him, even if it had taken too long to him to admit it to her. But pregnant with his pup...she was simply drop-dead gorgeous.

Kagome suddenly stopped undressing when she was in just her sweat pants and sports bra and reached over to turn off the water. "Inuyasha, you can continue to just stand there and stare, or you can get in with me."

That was a wake up call. Inuyasha stood up straight and rigid and craned his neck to look around the door to see if anyone had snuck into the room and heard her. They had never bathed together. The basin that they had in their home was too small, and bathing together was just so...intimate. They had only recently gotten over other differences. Sharing a tub was just too...

He looked at Kagome again. His expression softened. She was his mate, his wife. She was his, and he was hers. She was pregnant with his baby. She loved him.

Inuyasha shook his head and sniffed the air. Other than his and her scents, the others were too faded to have been there any time recently. Satisfied that no one was there, he turned his attention back to Kagome. She was blushing slightly.

"You...you don't have to," she stammered. "It was just an idea." She looked away then.

"Is there enough room?"

Kagome's head snapped around, her eyes wide. His gaze was averted to the far wall and a lone fang chewed his bottom lip, but he was not objected to the idea. Golden eyes suddenly slid to hers, and he smirked. A blush stole into her cheeks. She did not really think that he would consider it, but from the look that he just gave her he seemed to be quite fond of the idea.

"There's plenty of room, if I can lean against you." She blushed again and refused to look at him.

The sound of clothing hitting the carpet on the floor reached her ears. Bright red took over her natural skin tone and spread down her neck and chest. Clawed hands came to rest on her bare shoulders from behind and began kneading the muscles there. It was relaxing and tensing at the same time.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"N-no-nothing."

"Is this a bad idea?"

"No!" she said abruptly, tilting her head back to look at his face. "No, it's not a bad idea."

Inuyasha bent down and kissed her forehead, tugging lightly on one of her bra straps before letting his hands drop from her shoulders. Kagome took the hint and finished undressing as she heard him slide into the tub. She snatched an extra hair toggle and secured it around her wrist before joining him in the tub.

The atmosphere was soothing and the bubbles smelled sweet as she eased into the comfortably hot water. Once immersed, she situated herself so that her back rested against Inuyasha's chest, his legs splayed on either side of her and his hands resting gently on her stomach. Kagome smiled and played with the high-rising bubbles for a moment before reaching her arms back behind Inuyasha's head and tying his hair back with the toggle.

"Won't get all wet now," she said, smiling. He kissed her hair, and she let her head fall back to rest on his shoulder. This was nice. "We need a bigger tub."

"Mmmm."

Kagome laughed lightly at his drowsy voice. "Don't you fall asleep on me."

"I'm not falling asleep," he grumbled. But the coarse quality to his voice betrayed his answer.

"You better not. You'll miss out on ramen."

Inuyasha chuckled.

They soaked in silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence. Despite tying her hair back to keep from getting wet, Inuyasha loosened her toggle in order to run his claws through the fine strands, and Kagome contented herself with being pampered and building a mountain of bubbles. It was calming for both of them.

"Why did you agree to be my mate?"

"Where did that come from?" Kagome started, splashing a bit of water over the tub's edge as she hastily turned to face Inuyasha.

But he remained calm and continued running his claws through her hair, his eyes showing contentment even those hers were wide with uncertainty. She stilled his hand and tied her hair back once again as she looked up at his thoughtful face.

"Why did you ask me that?"

"It's something I've always wondered," he confessed, resting his hand behind her neck. "Your human, and yet you willingly responded to a youkai code of honor. You could have refused stubbornly like we all thought you would when I claimed you and gone on living as usual, but you chose the harder path with me. Why?"

"I know I didn't have to get married so young, Inuyasha," she mumbled. She sank into the water until half her face was covered, bubbles rising to the surface as she continued talking.

"Can't understand you, koi," Inuyasha responded, hooking his hands under her arms to lift her higher.

"I said that I wanted to!" Kagome snapped her mouth shut after her confession and looked down into the bubbles. "It was the selfish part of me. I loved you. You knew that, I knew that, but I also didn't think that I would ever be loved in return. And Kikyou's still here. I thought that this was the only way you would take me over her." She felt ashamed at that last confession, but it was only fair to him to admit it.

"That's—" he began roughly.

"I know that now!" she interrupted hastily. "But at the time I didn't think...didn't believe...oh, you know." She crossed her arms. "Part of it was selfish of me, but I also wanted to love you. Wanted you to know that you were loved and that it was okay to love. I wanted to always be with you, and this seemed to be the only way..." she trailed off.

"And you had marked me," she continued. "I know enough about youkai to know that they mate for life. If I had rejected you, then you would never have anyone."

"So you did it out of pity?"

Kagome heard the angry undertone in his voice and winced. "That didn't come out right." She took a deep breath. "I wanted you, and I loved you. I felt selfish because I took you without ever knowing if it was what you truly wanted. But I've never regretted my actions either." She swallowed. "Even during our rough times."

He fell silent then, contemplating all that she had told him. Some of her previous doubt irritated him, but at the same time he knew that he was also at fault for not letting her know just how much he cherished her.

Inuyasha tightened his arm around her and whispered into her hair. "I love Kagome, Kagome,"

Kagome smiled and leaned back against him. "I know."

"Thanks for telling me."

Her head fell back against his shoulder again, and she looked up at him smiling. "Love you."

Bending his neck, Inuyasha leaned down and gently brushed his lips over hers.

"Kagome, your food's going to be—" Mrs. Higurashi stopped mid-sentence and stared.

Now, this situation was new for her too. All her daughter's life, she had been able to walk into the bathroom where Kagome soaked to tell her whatever. As a matter of fact, some of their best mother/daughter conversations occurred while Kagome was relaxing in the bathtub after a stressful time in the feudal era. It was second nature to her as a mother.

It had never occurred to Mrs. Higurashi that she might find Kagome in the tub with Inuyasha, kissing nonetheless. But as fate would have it, this embarrassing situation had happened. She raised a hand to her mouth, both out of shock and to keep from laughing.

The looks on their faces!

Mrs. Higurashi knew that Kagome would not be thinking of the fact that she and Inuyasha were married and that this situation was in fact okay. As a matter of fact, all Kagome's red face screamed was "_Mama caught me in tub making out with a bo_y!"It seemed that even Kagome had forgotten that Inuyasha was her husband.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, looked guilty as sin. She supposed it did not help that Grandpa had hit him over the head earlier for getting her pregnant.

"Well," Mrs. Higurashi said a little too cheerfully, "you two look nice and cozy in there! Why don't we just wait a little while longer before supper? Have fun, you two!" And she left.

Once outside of Kagome's room, Mrs. Higurashi leaned back against the wall and covered her mouth his her hand. She laughed. She laughed at her own stupidity for not thinking that perhaps Inuyasha would be with her daughter, she laughed at the awkwardness, and she laughed at the dumb, reaching way she had spoken to them, too embarrassed at having walked in on them to form and intelligent sentence. She laughed at the fact that her daughter was married and allowed to do such things and the fact that she herself was not use to it. Then she thought of their faces. Her hand left her mouth and moved to clutched her stomach with her other hand. Sinking to the floor she let loose and simply howled over the entire situation.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom...

"I want to die." Kagome buried her face in Inuyasha's chest and squeezed her eyes closed, willing the entire incident to disappear.

Inuyasha remained silent for a moment, his ears twitching.

"Your mother's laughing at us," he finally spoke, patting her head in a soothing manner.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked up at him, giving him a sarcastic grin. "Oh, that's just great."

Inuyasha just chuckled and tapped the end of her nose. "Well, thank God for bubbles."

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A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed. Quite an embarrASSing situation, no? Lol, sorry, couldn't help myself. Wonder how their going to feel around Mama now? Should be interesting. Next chapter, more of the visit back home. A little more lightheartedness and fluff before we get into the thicker part of the story. Hope that you all enjoyed. I'd love feedback.

I've opened a livejournal account now. You'll find me under the username Silsbee. Sometimes you'll find update news in it and hear about how crazy life is. Check it out if interested. You can find the link under my profile on It's my homepage. God Bless! _Of Memories Past_


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